Finance/Tax Office

Quarterly Taxes Due: 

February 1

May 1

August 1

November 1

A ten day grace period applies. When the tenth day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the next day the Borough is open will be the last day of the grace period.

The State of New Jersey does not allow the tax collector to acknowledge postmarks.  Taxes must be received in the collector’s office on or before the 10th.  Payments are posted on the day that they are received in our office. The tax office cannot accept post dated checks.

Please be sure to include your phone number on all checks.

The Senior Freeze property tax reimbursement program has been a vital lifeline for many seniors and disabled individuals throughout New Jersey, helping to keep their property taxes stable so they can remain in their homes well into their golden years.

See all information here.

Make Checks Payable to:  Borough of Bound Brook

OR Click Below to Pay Online

• Pay Taxes Online
• Pay Refuse Online
• Look Up Tax Information

Tax Programs Available:

Senior Citizens Annual Property Tax Deduction-Annual deduction of $250.00 from property taxes for homeowners age 65 or older or disabled who have been in their home since October 1st of the pretax year, and whose income is less than $10,000/year, after a permitted exclusion of one of the following:

Social Security Benefits

Federal Gov’t Retirement/Disability Pension State, County

Municipal Government Pension

Veteran Deduction-Annual deduction of $250.00 from property taxes for qualified war veterans and their unmarried surviving spouses who have been in their home as of October 1st of the pretax year. Forms are available in the Tax Collector’s and Tax Assessor’s office.

Property Tax Relief Programs-Information about the Homestead Rebate or Property Tax Reimbursement (Tax Freeze) may be found on https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/relief.shtml or you can contact the Tax Office.

Homeowners Guide to Property Taxes

The total tax levy to be collected is the sum of the local budget and the budgets of the school board and county board. This figure is divided by the total assessments in the township to produce the tax rate. That tax rate is then applied to individual assessments.

The 1st and 2nd quarter tax bills are preliminary, and equal to half of the total prior year taxes. The 3rd quarter is also estimated because the rate cannot be computed until all budgets have been approved; budget approval occurs in June. The final tax bill is computed by applying the new tax rate to the current year assessment, then deducting the amount billed for the first 3 quarters.

Escrow taxes with A Mortgage Company

An Initial Authorization Form from the Mortgage Company is needed. 

This form, when signed by you, authorizes us to send your tax bill to the mortgage company. 

Change your address

Complete the Address Change Form (PDF) and return it to the Tax Assessor: mimbriaco@boundbrook-nj.org or Tax Collector: jschneider@boundbrook-nj.org

Mortgage paid off

If you have paid off your mortgage and will now make tax payments to the Borough directly:

Written notice to stop sending the original bills to the mortgage company is necessary.

Please complete the Bank Code Removal Form (PDF) and return it to the Tax Collector. 

August Tax bills (3rd Quarter) are mailed in June as a single stub. This is an Estimated bill which is due Aug 1st.   

Final & Preliminary (4th Quarter current year and 1st & 2nd Quarters of the following year) bills are mailed at the end of August/beginning of September. This bill contains 4 perforated stubs for the 3rd (paid already) and 4th quarter of the current year, and the 1st and 2nd quarters of the next year. Original bills are mailed to those who pay their own taxes, as well as to banks and mortgage companies.  

Property owners who pay their taxes through their mortgage company receive an Advice Copy of the tax bill. The advice copy can be used to make tax payments if a mortgage has been paid off by the property owner. Please read both the front and the back of the bill.

Tax and refuse payments may be paid by mail, in person or online. When paying by mail, please send a check with the appropriate payment stub or indicate the block & lot and purpose of payment on the memo line. The cancelled check will be the receipt. If you would like a receipt, kindly include a self-addressed stamped envelope and one will be mailed to you.

If you need to make payment outside of office hours and do not use the internet, payments can be placed in the drop box at the rear entrance of Borough Hall, seven days/week at any time, day or night. Payments must be in a sealed envelope labeled to the Tax Collector, with the name and phone number of the person making payment. Payments will be posted the next business day. Envelopes are provided at the drop box.

NJSA 54:4-64 states that failure to receive a bill does not invalidate taxes due; it is the property owner’s responsibility to ascertain from the proper official (Tax Collector) the amount due. If you have recently purchased the property, or lost your bill, you should call the Tax Office to obtain the amount due or visit www.boundbrook-nj.org >Tax Inquiry> look up your address and download/print a copy of the bill.

Use this information to correctly fill out your check:

• Payable to the Borough of Bound Brook
• Place the account number or block and lot on the lower left corner of the check, known as the "memo line.”
• Date the check with the same date you are writing the check. No post-dated checks will be accepted
• Make sure both the numerical and written amounts match 
• Ex. “$500” and “five hundred” 
• Postmark is not accepted
• Please include a phone number on all checks

An "Advice Copy" of your bill will be mailed to you, if your mortgage company pays your taxes. If an original copy of the tax bill is received, forward a copy to your mortgage company. Refuse bills are not paid by the mortgage company. 

It is in the best interest of you, your mortgage holder and the new buyer that you have your current tax bill and refuse bill on hand at closing. Whether this is a refinance or sale, the new owner or your mortgage company will need to know the next quarterly amounts due.

A lien will be sold against the property if there are any unpaid taxes owed from the previous year, this may also include refuse and other municipal charges.

Unpaid taxes in the current year will accrue interest daily at the rate of 8% for the first $1,500 and 18% on balances more than $1,500. 

The Refuse bill is for garbage service. Payment is the responsibility of the property owner. Mortgage companies do not pay refuse.

As with taxes and other municipal charges, any unpaid refuse will accrue interest and balances owed from the previous year will be sold at the tax sale.

The interest rate is 8% for the first $1,500 and 18% for any balances above $1,500. This will be charged back to the original due date or the last payment date, whichever is closer. There is a year-end penalty of 6% on properties that owe more than $10,000, including principal, interest.

Every town is required by law to hold a tax sale annually.  The Borough holds a standard online annual tax sale for those properties with balances due from the prior year. Delinquent prior year taxes, refuse, and other Borough charges will be sold to the highest bidder in the form of liens. The state requires that any property listed for tax sale be publicly published and posted in the Borough. The costs of publication and sale are added to the amount to be sold. 

Upon the sale of these liens, the purchasers (Lien Holders) may pay the current year delinquencies and add those balances to the lien. Lien holders must wait 2 years before they can begin foreclosure of a property. The property owner may redeem the lien at any time prior to foreclosure, through the Tax Collector’s Office.

Learn more about tax sales (PDF).

Usually, people/companies who are looking to invest money buy tax liens. The interest rate starts at 18%. However, if there is more than one person/entity interested in the same parcel, they will start bidding down the interest rate. Once the bidders bid down to 0%, it will go into a premium starting at multiples of $100.

The successful bidders will receive a legal document referred to as a "tax certificate" which must be recorded with the Somerset County Clerk’s Office. The certificate must be held for 2 years from the date of sale before foreclosure can commence. If the lien has not been redeemed by an interested party, after 2 years the lienholder may start to foreclose on the property. The homeowner has the right to redeem the tax sale certificate (PDF) any time prior to the final judgment being filed.

You must submit a REQUEST in writing to the Tax Collector for a statement of redemption. At no time should you approach the lien holder directly. The request must include the EXACT date that you anticipate making payment and a statement of your legal interest in the property. The Collector will provide you with a payoff figure that is computed to the date of the redemption. You may be required to provide proof of identity. New Jersey Tax Sale Law only allows "interested parties" the right to redeem.

The only forms of payment are cash, certified check or money order. The Collector will notify the lien holder that payment has been received and request the lien certificate from the lien holder. This certificate will be forwarded to you. You will then have the lien removed at the Somerset County Clerk’s Office.

On or before March 1, taxpayers who receive certain tax deductions must file an Annual Post Tax Year Statement certifying their income for the prior year.  

Learn more about senior and veteran tax deductions.

Find information about the programs available to reduce taxes:

A.  NJ Property Tax Deductions:

Senior and Disabled Citizens 

Senior citizens must be 65 years of age, own and reside in the property for which the deduction is being sought and meet income requirements. Total income, less the greater of Social Security or government pension income, must not exceed $10,000. For more information click HERE. Applications are available HERE, and Widow(er)s of eligible seniors may claim the deduction as well, if certain criteria are met. An annual update is required; forms will be mailed in January by the Tax Collector. Failure to return the form in a timely manner will result in the deduction being removed.

Disabled citizens must meet the criteria for Senior deductions, except for age. They must be receiving Social Security disability payments and provide a note from the doctor saying they are 100% disabled.

Veterans

Veteran eligibility information click HERE. Applications are available HERE.  Widow(er)s of eligible veterans may claim the deduction as well.

Disabled Veterans may request 100% exemption from property tax payment. For eligibility information click HERE. Applications are available HERE. Restrictions may apply.

Each deduction reduces taxes by $250 per year. There is also an exemption for 100% disabled veterans, where the disability was caused by their service in the armed forces. Instructions are on the reverse side of all applications.

New Jersey Website to access the forms

B. Senior Freeze Reimbursement Program:

 For details please visit:  https://www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/ptr/

Emergency Rescue Mortgage Assistance (ERMA)

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

Up to $75,000 per household for expenses which may include:

• Mortgage reinstatement
• Escrow shortages
• Delinquent property taxes and HOA dues/fees
• Municipal or property tax liens
• Mortgage payments, including principal, interest, taxes, and homeowner’s insurance

For more information visit https://www.nj.gov/dca/hmfa/erma/hub/